In this world dedicated himself from the first to sound philosophy,

and had been moderately fortunate in the number of the lot, he might,

as the messenger reported, be happy here, and also his journey to

another life and return to this, instead of being rough and underground,

would be smooth and heavenly. Most curious, he said, was the spectacle

--sad and laughable and strange; for the choice of the souls was in

most cases based on their experience of a previous life. There he

saw the soul which had once been Orpheus choosing the life of a swan

out of enmity to the race of women, hating to be born of a woman because

they had been his murderers; he beheld also the soul of Thamyras choosing

the life of a nightingale; birds, on the other hand, like the swan

and other musicians, wanting to be men. The soul which obtained the

twentieth lot chose the life of a lion, and this was the soul of Ajax

the son of Telamon, who would not be a man, remembering the injustice

which was done him the judgment about the arms. The next was Agamemnon,

who took the life of an eagle, because, like Ajax, he hated human

nature by reason of his sufferings. About the middle came the lot

of Atalanta; she, seeing the great fame of an athlete, was unable

to resist the temptation: and after her there followed the soul of

Epeus the son of Panopeus passing into the nature of a woman cunning

In the arts; and far away among the last who chose, the soul of the

jester Thersites was putting on the form of a monkey. There came also

the soul of Odysseus having yet to make a choice, and his lot happened

to be the last of them all. Now the recollection of former tolls had

disenchanted him of ambition, and he went about for a considerable

time in search of the life of a private man who had no cares; he had

some difficulty in finding this, which was lying about and had been

neglected by everybody else; and when he saw it, he said that he would

have done the had his lot been first instead of last, and that he

was delighted to have it. And not only did men pass into animals,

but I must also mention that there were animals tame and wild who

changed into one another and into corresponding human natures --the

good into the gentle and the evil into the savage, in all sorts of

combinations.

All the souls had now chosen their lives, and they went in the order

of their choice to Lachesis, who sent with them the genius whom they

had severally chosen, to be the guardian of their lives and the fulfiller

of the choice: this genius led the souls first to Clotho, and drew

them within the revolution of the spindle impelled by her hand, thus

ratifying the destiny of each; and then, when they were fastened to

this, carried them to Atropos, who spun the threads and made them

irreversible, whence without turning round they passed beneath the

throne of Necessity; and when they had all passed, they marched on

in a scorching heat to the plain of Forgetfulness, which was a barren

waste destitute of trees and verdure; and then towards evening they

encamped by the river of Unmindfulness, whose water no vessel can

hold; of this they were all obliged to drink a certain quantity, and

those who were not saved by wisdom drank more than was necessary;

and each one as he drank forgot all things. Now after they had gone

to rest, about the middle of the night there was a thunderstorm and

earthquake, and then in an instant they were driven upwards in all

manner of ways to their birth, like stars shooting. He himself was

hindered from drinking the water. But in what manner or by what means

he returned to the body he could not say; only, in the morning, awaking

suddenly, he found himself lying on the pyre.

And thus, Glaucon, the tale has been saved and has not perished, and

will save us if we are obedient to the word spoken; and we shall pass

safely over the river of Forgetfulness and our soul will not be defiled.

Wherefore my counsel is that we hold fast ever to the heavenly way

and follow after justice and virtue always, considering that the soul